America's Heart Disease Epidemic

Adventist HealthMar 19, 2013 NW Regional Heart

We’ve all heard of the term “heartbreaking,” and that sentiment pretty much surmises the current heart disease statistics of America. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and every thirty-three seconds someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease.

More Americans die of heart disease than all cancers combined, and heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

An estimated 80 million Americans have one or more types of heart disease, with coronary heart disease as the most common type; killing more than 385,000 people annually.

Every year, about 935,000 Americans have a heart attack. 250,000 Americans die annually of Sudden Cardiac Death, which accounts for 680 deaths, every day of the year.

Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

The following data is extracted from Northwest Regional Heart Center and Vascular, which can be found above.

Americans At Risk

Various medical conditions and lifestyle choices put Americans at a higher risk for heart disease, including:

inactivity: 53%

obesity: 34%

smoking: 21%

high cholesterol: 15%

diabetes: 11%

1. Physical Inactivity

35% of heart disease mortalities are due to physical inactivity.

Approximately 60% of all Americans age 18 and older are physically inactive.

Physical inactivity results in loss of income and productivity due to the onset of disabling diseases:

In recent years, the total medical expenditure of Americans with heart disease was 41.3 billion USD. of which 5.4 billion USD – or 13.1% – was associated with inactivity.

2. Overweight/Obesity

About 12 million -16.9% – of U.S. children ages 2-19 are obese.

Nearly 75 million – 33.7% – of U.S. adults are obese.

Currently, 27 million Americans have chronic heart disease, all induced by obesity.

3. Smoking

Cigarette smoking has been proven to cause coronary heart disease.

Almost 20% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking.

Cigarette smokers are 2–4x more likely to develop coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.

4. High Cholesterol

Poor nutrition can lead to high cholesterol, which is a primary contributor to heart disease.

A diet that includes high-fat foods and processed foods affects cholesterol levels, by clogging arteries and blocking blood flow to the heart.

The National Institutes of Health reports that more than 500,000 people in the United States die each year due to heart disease, primarily induced by a high-fat diet.

5. Diabetes

8.3% of US adults, aged 20 years or older (or 25.8 MILLION Americans) have diabetes in the United States.

35% of U.S. adults, aged 20 years or older (or 79 MILLION Americans) are in the stages of pre-diabetes development.

By 2020, heart disease will be the leading cause of death throughout the world. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with heart-related complications, visit http://www.nwregionalheart.com for a personalized treatment plan. Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular is a nationally-recognized chest pain center that couples world-class physicians with state-of-the-art technology and treatment options. Don’t let the onset of heart disease destroy the quality of your life; schedule an appointment with Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular today.

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